Head to Head Games

Beth GMs an introduction one-shot for Jeanne, intended to be a potential intro session for a larger campaign. Beth uses basic events to introduce the main narrative beats of a game of Geist and provide Jeanne with a quick introduction to the game's magic system. Jeanne adjusts to the rules and makes intriguing roleplaying choices.  The episode analyzing this one-shot

Beth presents Geist: The Sin-Eaters, a 2009 game and 2020 remaster of a tabletop game about ghosts by White Wolf Gaming Studio. Beth and Jeanne describe the rules of the game in conversation and then analyze the gameplay of a one-shot of the game. They agree that the game is complicated and that they would like to play a campaign with the system. The one-shot analyzed in this episode

Jeanne presents Warhammer 40,000: Darktide (2022), a squad combat game by Fatshark Studios based on the properties of Games Workshop, describing its class system and the role of lore in the game. Beth discusses her takes on the game as a newcomer to the series and a veteran of the genre. Together, Beth and Jeanne agree that Darktide is a fundamentally fun game, but find that their reasons for reac...

Beth presents Banished (by Shining Rock Studios, 2014 ) and describes its blend of resource management, town building, and survival, as well as what kinds of decisions the player has to make. Jeanne describes her experience as a beginner Banished player, and Beth talks about what makes Banished special among her favorite games. Beth and Jeanne are in rare agreement that Banished is a well-made and...

Jeanne presents Sheriff of Nottingham (by  Sérgio Halaban ,  André Zatz,  and Arcane Wonders) and discusses its strategic elements, and Beth describes what the social dynamics are in this simple bluffing game. Our discussion of what type of game Sheriff of Nottingham really is leads us to question whether we even agree what the point of playing games is. 

Beth and Jeanne discuss the board game Tak, a simple game conceived of by writer Patrick Rothfuss and designed by James Ernest with CheapAss Games. We describe the elegant rules and strategies together, with Beth focusing on the book's context, the atmosphere of the game, and observations from playing against many opponents while Jeanne discusses her favorite strategies and her observations based...

Jeanne leads us in telling us about Palworld by Pocket Pair games, the strenghths and weaknesses of its broad gameplay, and the legal controversy surrounding it. Beth evaluates what about the game is enjoyable and not from the perspective of a casual player of this type of game. We together navigate the sticky issue of putting a solid review on a game so expansive and complex.

Beth GMs a one-shot of Don't Rest Your Head (by Fred Hicks and Evil Hat Productions) for Jeanne to introduce her to the game. Beth uses content from the rulebook and extrapolated from the rulebook to give Jeanne a normal Don't Rest Your Head experience with canon NPCs and a simple and quick story; Jeanne adjusts to the rules and makes interesting choices and uses of her player character abilities....

We discuss Don't Rest Your Head, a tabletop roleplaying game by Fred Hicks and Evil Hat Productions set in a nightmarish dream realm which has simple rules based on betting against the Game Master's rolls with your own rolls as a player. Beth describes the rules and GMing of a game as well as the game's role in her Master's thesis; Jeanne talks about playing the game for the first time in a one-sh...

We discuss the board game Codenames by Vlaada Chvátil, a game that both of us played separately before meeting and have enjoyed playing together. Jeanne provides an in-depth discussion of the rules of the game and the ways that the formal, implied, and real-life variant rules affect strategy, as well as the impact of the game being named as the Game of the Year when it was released; Beth talks abo...

We discuss the open world RPG Cyberpunk 2077, made by CD Projekt Red, which has fascinated both of us. Beth provides an overview of the game, its strengths, and its flaws; Jeanne talks about the game's production history and her expertise in the game. Together, we talk about what makes Cyberpunk such a special experience and why--despite the game's flaws and missteps--it is the kind of game worth...

We talk about Helldivers II, the highly successfully and reimagined sequel made by Arrowhead Games, which is Jeanne's fixation. Together, Beth and Jeanne provide an overview of what the game is and what makes it unique among shooters, and Jeanne gives in-depth insights into the workings of the game and what it's like to be a high-level player in the community. We describe our experiences with the...

We discuss the mother of all tabletop roleplaying games, Dungeons & Dragons (originally created by Dave Arneson and Gary Gygax, now owned by Wizards of the Coast). Beth provides a conceptual overview of tabletop RPGs at large and what makes D&D unique as well as insight into different playstyles and a highlight on roleplaying and Beth's work as a Dungeon Master. We provides stories and exp...

Meet your hosts, Beth and Jeanne! In this episode, we discuss the board game Ticket to Ride by Days of Wonder (creator Alan R. Moon). Jeanne provides an in-depth look at the way the game works, strategies to win, and commentary on what keeps the game fresh. We describe our experiences with the game and why you should consider it for your next game night.